Big Iron

"Big Iron" is a ballad written by American country and western singer Marty Robbins and first released on his 1959 album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. It gained a boost in popularity and achieved meme status after its inclusion on the soundtrack of the 2010 video game Fallout: New Vegas.

The Longest Johns released their cover of the song on YouTube on 6 December 2023, and it was later included on Caught in the Net Vol 1, released 18 October 2024.

Factoids

There is a historic village in New Mexico and a ghost town in California called Agua Fria, but no known community by that name in Arizona; however, the Agua Fria river west of Phoenix lends its name to the Agua Fria National Monument, a portion of Arizona SR 101, and a school district in the western Phoenix suburbs.^[1]

The events in the song are fictional, but possibly inspired by tall tales told to Robbins by his grandfather, "Texas Bob" Heckle, a figure of local legend who claimed, among other things, to have served as a Texas Ranger.^[2]

Lyrics

These lyrics are based on the version performed by the Longest Johns on their studio cover.

To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day
Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn't have too much to say
No one dared to ask his business, no one dared to make a slip
For the stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

It was early in the morning when he rode into the town
He came riding from the south side slowly lookin' all around
He's an outlaw loose and running, came the whisper from each lip
And he's here to do some business with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red
Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead
He was vicious and a killer though a youth of 24
And the notches on his pistol numbered one and 19 more
One and 19 more

Now the stranger started talking, made it plain to folks around
Was an Arizona ranger, wouldn't be too long in town
He came here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead
And he said it didn't matter he was after Texas Red
After Texas Red

Wasn't long before the story was relayed to Texas Red
But the outlaw didn't worry men that tried before were dead
20 men had tried to take him, 20 men had made a slip
21 would be the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

Well the morning passed so quickly, it was time for them to meet
It was 20 past 11 when they walked out in the street
Folks were watching from the windows, everybody held their breath
They knew this handsome ranger was about to meet his death
About to meet his death

There was 40 feet between them when they stopped to make their play
And the swiftness of the ranger is still talked about today
Texas Red had not cleared leather 'fore a bullet fairly ripped
And the ranger's aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

It was over in a moment and the folks had gathered round
There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground
Oh, he might have went on living but he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

Big iron, big iron
When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

Recordings

Stream/Purchase

YouTube Videos

Full Band Streams

Chill Streams

[1] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agua_Fria

[2] ttps://truewestmagazine.com/article/big-iron-on-his-hip/

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